Chapter 6: A Pinwheel of Foggy Dreams. Cure Bolt Takes The Stage!
To N, Pinwheel Forest at night is a mythical place. The tiny river below the main road, despite swarming with hungry Basculin, somehow manages to cease its flow whenever the sun goes down. The trees rustle with a predetermined rhythm as the grass and bug-type Pokémon all scurry to their homes, ready to waltz into the dream world. The trainers traversing the forest's pinwheel-shaped geography either have set up camp or have laid down on the grassy floor. The night sky peeks through the tiny holes of the forest canopy, its darkness not quite reaching the residents protected by the leafy layers.
N leans back against a fallen tree trunk and pulls out a thick book from his bag.
"What do you have there?" Touko asks him, squinting at the tiny letters on the binder. Her eyes have not adjusted to the darkness yet.
"This is a book of fairy tales in the Unova region," he replies, "They're rather fascinating in the messages they want to convey. Stories that can only take place in the recesses of our imaginations. Legends are just as engrossing, but there's something captivating about the hypothetical settings that fairy tales create."
The green-haired man notices Touko staring blankly at him, a sign that she's struggling to keep up with his words. In their past interactions, he had never really paid attention to her other than if she directly answered his questions. But after being forced to analyze his own actions…
"What do you think? Do you like fairy tales?"
Touko slowly shakes her head. He waits for her to elaborate, but she keeps quiet.
"Why is that?" N insists. She purses her lips and turns her head away with a shrug of her shoulders.
"My mom used to read me a ton of them when I was younger. Even back then, they didn't make much sense to me. I guess I never felt that spark of amazement as other people did."
N is intrigued. This is his chance to understand Touko as a person more. "Can you give an example?"
She hums softly, crossing her arms as she searches for an apt example.
"The only one that comes to my mind is Swanna Lake. In the story, the white Swanna explained to the prince she can only be human at night, so he should have known that the black Swanna, or someone else, is disguising herself as the white Swanna at the ball. It makes me wonder if his love is genuine, or if he's that unattentive."
N is stunned. Truth be told, that particular fairy tale has been one of the more interesting ones he has read. The chemistry between the two main leads, the simplicity in its themes, and the various endings that have sprouted since the release of the original story…
"Do you believe they should have a happy ending or a bad ending, then?" N brings up.
The heroine raises her eyebrow. Why is he asking about that? More importantly, why does he care about what she thought about a silly fairy tale? Still, her answer comes to her easily, and she braces herself for the inevitable look of disappointment he'll wear, just like every other time she tried to carry a conversation with him in the past.
"Well, I want a happy ending for the white Swanna. In almost all of the versions I've heard of, she's the one who loses everything, even though her sacrifice is ultimately the thing that defeats the evil wizard. I feel bad for her, honestly."
N looks up to the barely visible starry sky. To Touko's surprise, he doesn't appear disheartened. If anything, he looks pensive as though churning her words in his mind.
"And the prince?" he eventually inquires.
Touko sighs, "Truthfully, he doesn't deserve the white Swanna. But he sacrificed himself in the end, so I want to believe that he really loves her."
The fog is thick. N struggles to see what's in front of him, swinging his head around for any shadows that can help him guide his way. He can hear the faint trickle of water somewhere nearby. Taking a hesitant step forward, he realizes that he is two steps away from walking into a lake.
He's had dreams like these before. They're murky visions of the future.
N inches forward, his feet ready to sink below the water's surface. Before he can take that step, he registers a shadow forming in front of him. At first, its shape is amorphous like the surface it's standing on. He focuses his dream so that he can decipher the blurry image, and it eventually sharpens into a human form. The figure is slim and feminine, with long hair flowing down to her back.
To his shock, the fog thickens the moment the shadow stabilizes. Feeling a bubble of annoyance slowly expanding in his heart, he mentally urges the fog to dissolve, but it stubbornly refuses. Instead, it threatens to steal away the enigmatic shadow by slowly covering her form with its misty hands. N senses that the fog is rebelling against him, something that has never happened before. In the past, he's had full control of his visions, and the confidence that came from being able to see his own future was one of the things that fueled his determination.
Ever since his original ideals were proven wrong, however, he hasn't had any dreams of this kind, and for a while, he believed it was because his future is unclear. After all, he didn't know who he was and what his place in the world was.
In that sense, his dreams are more like confirmations of his resolution rather than prophecies.
The lack of control brings forth a dark feeling from within N. His mind spins, questioning the unfamiliar conditions of his dream. Is he still doubting himself? Was his ability to see his future waning? Or is there an outside force interfering with his power?
The panic rioting inside of him leads him to desperately cling to the person hiding in the fog.
"No!" he pleads, "I need to see who this person is! What kind of future is she trying to show me?"
The mysterious shadow unfolds a pair of wings that N swears haven't been there before. Her hair extends to the back of her legs, and the edges of her outline change, signaling a change of clothes. She tilts her head up and launches herself above the fog. N's eyes struggle to chase after the shadow.
He loses sight of her. His heart calls out to the strange, winged girl, the one who contains the answers he seeks.
And in the place where the mysterious shadow first spawns, golden words etch themselves into the fog.
Once upon a time, there was a princess who was turned into a Swanna. She wished to keep her curse a secret, for she feared that the evil wizard would harm the one who will come to love her.
But is that what she truly feared?
Touko watches N carefully as he munches on his breakfast. His gray eyes are foggy, making them even more unreadable than before. While he greets her with the same smile she knows, she notices something else just under the surface.
"I see what you mean, Reshiram. What do you think could be bothering him so much?"
"I do not know. The only hint we have are Orion's parting words."
"He was always so open about problems that clearly troubled him. I can't believe I didn't notice until you brought it up."
"What will you do, heroine?"
She falls silent. Normally, if this was Cheren or Bianca hiding something from her, she trusts that they will open up to her whenever they need her help. But this is N, and she doesn't know how to best approach him.
Should she press him or wait for him to come to her?
The rest of their morning passes by with an uncomfortable silence. N pays no attention to Touko as he blindly follows the concrete trail. The heroine, on the other hand, attempts to keep herself busy by looking at everything and anything but N, but her gaze keeps coming back to her unusually mute companion. She catches a few Sewaddle scurrying away from a pack of very annoyed Venipede. Several Cottonee are basking in the sunlight, some even venturing out onto the human-made road to mindlessly wave at the trainers. Touko waves back at the cotton-like Pokémon and once again shifts her gaze back to N. He doesn't notice her staring at him.
"Heroine, you cannot keep this up. As my champion, you must ascertain the truth from him."
She sighs dejectedly, "I know, Reshiram, but he's been acting so weird that I'm at a loss. When did he start keeping things to himself?"
"That is also something we must find out from him. Nothing will come if you two do not communicate with each other."
Meanwhile, N has dedicated himself to deciphering the cryptic dream he had last night.
"Who was that person? Is she someone that I'm going to meet? And the words that came afterward are trying to retell the story of Swanna Lake. From the words and the silhouette, I can assume that the girl is some variation of the white Swanna. But then the question at the end...am I supposed to find an answer to it? Will my answer lead me to her?"
"N! N!" Touko calls out to him for a few minutes, steadily increasing her voice until she's practically shouting. He jolts at the last iteration of his name.
"Y-Yes, Touko?"
The sudden thrust back to reality distorts N, and he takes a moment to reorient himself. They're in front of a clearing, its entrance guarded by a line of trees. There's no one around other than the two of them.
"Beyond those trees is Rumination Field..." N mutters. He looks back to Touko, who is now pointing at him.
"I challenge you to a battle!" she declares. Her crystal blue eyes gleam with absolute conviction, and a confident smile stretches to the corners of her cheeks.
N predictably recoils at her abrupt proclamation.
"Now? But why?"
Touko softens her expression, but that grin on her face refuses to leave. "I've been thinking that we haven't had a friendly battle with each other in a long time." He can tell that there is something she isn't saying to him. She tries to play it off nonchalantly, but he knows that she's treading cautiously, testing something between them.
Between his musings over his dream and the worries that have been rearing their ugly heads more and more often, he finds that her invitation might be the perfect distraction from them. He can hear Zoroark and Vanilluxe wishing to battle against his friend, further cementing his decision.
"Very well. My friends and I are looking forward to witnessing your strength again."
His heart thumps almost painfully against his chest when Touko's smile widens. "My team feels the same way. We've been waiting far too long for this."
Touko's Lilligant gingerly grabs two flags, one white and one black, from her trainer's bag and walks to the edge of their battlefield. The rest of Touko's and N's team all stand to the side, eagerly awaiting the spectacle to start. The Flowering Pokémon raises her leafy arms and slams the flags down, signaling for the battle to begin.
"Scoria, Sunny Day!" Touko commands. The Scolipede charges an orb of light and fires it into the dense forest cover, amplifying the intensity of the solar rays that seep through the gaps. N shifts his cap over his eyes.
"Zoroark, Night Slash!"
Zoroark's claws glow with a malicious purple color. He watches the bug-type Pokémon steel itself for the attack. The pincers on the Scolipede's head are reared, preparing to catch the lycan-like Pokémon. Zoroark growls once and points to something to his right. As expected, Scoria breaks her concentration and whips her head to her left. The Megapede Pokémon barely registers she has been duped before a swipe slashes at her face.
Ritsu drops his head down as a bead of sweat trickles down his forehead. Touko's Vanilluxe begins to laugh, while Zebstrika angrily snaps at her teammate. Despite the obvious mistake, Touko is chuckling. The Scolipede shakes her head and turns her attention back to the Zoroark.
"Let's give them a taste of their own medicine, Scoria! X-Scissors!"
Scoria lunges forward at speeds her opponent can't comprehend. The Scolipede, despite her large and bulky body, is able to close the gap between her and Zoroark before her opponent can even blink. Her horns cross against the Zoroark's chest, sending the wolf-like Pokémon down on his knees once she slashes through to complete her attack.
They have only exchanged one round of commands, but already, N can sense that Zoroark will not be able to battle for much longer.
"I've forgotten just how strong Touko is. Just one attack is enough to make me worry."
He still has a chance, though. Touko herself has given him an advantage, and he intends to use it.
"Can you stand, Zoroark?" N asks his companion first. The Illusion Fox Pokémon shakily rises to his feet, one arm clutching his stomach. He growls once to his trainer, urging the former king to give him his next orders swiftly.
"Flamethrower!"
As if his injuries are suddenly burned away, Zoroark inhales and releases a breath of orange flames at the bug and poison-type Pokémon. Combined with the amplification coming from Scoria's Sunny Day, the fire stream bathes the Scolipede in a pool of heat. Heavy burn marks begin to dig into Scoria's thick skin. Despite the obvious pain she's feeling, the Scolipede bravely stands her ground and takes the attack head-on.
Zoroark keeps up the flamethrower for as long as he can, but the attack from earlier catches up to him. He coughs and collapses onto his knees again, the flamethrower now completely halted. While Zoroark struggles to lift his head up, N observes his opponent and visibly recoils at the smirk on Touko's face.
"Sorry, N. But I don't think that was enough," she haughtily announces. A lime green aura dances around the Scolipede's body as she shoots a glare at the downed Zoroark. She lowers her head, rearing her horns straight at her target.
"And that's where we'll stop," Touko abruptly says, walking up to her Pokémon and spraying a burn heal over the Scolipede's back. The Megapede Pokémon lets out a whine at the sting. N releases the tension from his shoulders and rushes to his heavily injured friend.
"Are you alright?" He asks the Zoroark. His Pokémon friend grunts once, unable to get up from the floor. N pulls out a Sitrus berry from his pockets and hands it over to the dark-type Pokémon. While Zoroark munches on the yellow fruit, N turns his attention to Touko and her Scolipede.
"You did a great job taking that flamethrower, Scoria. I promise I won't make you do something like that for a while," the heroine says, comforting the tall, bug-type Pokémon. Scoria shoots her trainer a grateful look. N watches them interact and smiles a bittersweet grin.
"I'm still no match for you," the former king states. Touko shakes her head to object.
"That's not true. You were able to last longer than most of my opponents, and trust me when I say that I have been training."
"I don't doubt that at all," he says.
"Do you feel a little better, though?" she questions, "You've been quiet all morning, and it's nerve-wracking, to be honest."
N widens his eyes as if caught under a spotlight. "What do you mean?"
"I guess...in the past, you've always been so vocal. Seeing you so silent is...unsettling. It's like you're a completely different person." She stares straight into his foggy gray orbs as if she can pull the reason out with just her gaze.
He looks away. In a way, Touko is right. He is a different person than who he was in the past.
But why does that bother her so much?
Before he can explain himself, her words echo in his ears again, once again attempting to guide him through this situation.
"If you want someone to believe you, you need to prove it not just with your words but with your actions. I'm sure you know this already, but if you want her to consider you her friend, you need to get her to trust you. And one way to do that is to not overwhelm her with your own troubles. Get her to talk about what she likes. Listen to what she has to say instead of interjecting with your opinions like you're trying to persuade her to your side."
"I...There is something troubling me," he concedes, "But it's something that I need to figure out on my own."
Touko's shoulders visibly slump in defeat. "I see...If there's anything I can do, you just let me know."
Despite the guilt he feels at deflating her mood, his heart throbs at her gesture. "Of course."
It'll be worth it in the end. Once he can finally claim that Touko thinks of him as a friend, he'll open up to her about this vision. He has plenty of time to think about it, after all.
"Should we get going, then?" Touko asks.
"Yes, I'm fine now." He walks ahead of her, absentmindedly navigating through the maze of fallen tree trunks and thick foliage. A chilly breeze racks his body, forcing a shiver down his spine. Reaching the tiny stream resting in the center of the forest, N turns around to start small talk with his travel companion...but instead, all he sees is fog.
"Touko?" N doesn't hear her answering his call. His heart rate picks up speed.
"Touko!" he cries out her name. He backtracks into the mist, gritting his teeth as he slowly loses the ability to see anything other than a murky haze. As he continues to tread aimlessly, he finds that it's getting harder to move forward. Almost as if the fog is materializing...
N then hears a Pokémon singing. The voice is wispy, almost squeaky, but there is an elegance that listeners cannot deny. The song the Pokémon is singing is ominous and foreboding. The rhythm swings back and forth like a pair of dancers twirling around on a stage.
His eyes droop, and his body drops onto the ground. His hand is stretched out against the forest floor, reaching for something.
From the fog, the outlines of a female trainer and her Pokémon, a rather short, mouse-like Pokémon with a shawl, can be seen. The girl turns her head away from the unconscious man and runs off towards the center of the forest.
Touko is kicking herself for leaving N all alone. Only seconds after Touko and N head towards the forest exit, Reshiram alerts her that it senses a member of the Shadow Triad in Rumination Field. She has only a few seconds to decide on what to do.
"N has not noticed that you are not following him. What do you want to do?"
The heroine lets out a click of the tongue. She faces her team and commands, "Ritsu, everyone. I want you to trail N and watch over him, but do not lead him to where I am. Wait until I find you guys."
The Samurott gives an affirmative nod and growls to his comrades. Touko observes her team chase after the former king and mentally groans at the amount of noise they're making.
"We...are so bad at this."
She turns her attention to the small clearing serving as the gateway to Virizion's home. A few trails of fog begin to seep into the dense forest. Touko recalls Reshiram and steps into Rumination Field.
"Hello, Precure," greets Shadow. He's standing in the center of the field in front of a giant cotton Kugeki. The fused monster isn't as tall as the trees surrounding them, but it makes it up by being almost as wide as the field itself. It's on its hands and knees, spewing the mysterious fog from its back. An out-of-place fedora rests on its head.
Shadow faces his creation. "It's a shame the people here are weak...but at least you are separated from Lord N. He's being retrieved as we speak."
Touko's blood runs cold. She had sent her Pokémon after N, but if the other two members of the Shadow Triad are somewhere in the forest…
"No…! They could be turned into Kugekis! Not only did I leave N alone...I put my Pokémon in danger!"
"Calm down. I sense a bluff."
Touko stares straight into the eyes of Shadow, intending to draw out the truth. Her gaze, despite being as intense as an inferno, does little to get him to flinch.
"I can still hear your team in the forest. They do not seem to be in distress yet. Let us defeat him before his ruse becomes a reality."
She hesitantly nods, not entirely convinced. Only when she recalls the trust she has with her Pokémon does she push aside her worries and pull out Reshiram's luxury ball.
"Curing Fusion!"
The thick blanket of fog does little to hinder the pillar of orange light that guarded her transformation. In a burst of orange sparkles and white feathers, Touko assumes her role as a Precure.
"The Heroine of Truth, Cure Flare!"
Her first instinct is to launch herself into the air. She unfolds her wings, but the strange fog that had been coating the forest starts to cling onto the feathers.
"Wait...this isn't fog...it's cotton!"
"I see. The Kugeki must be producing cotton that is thin and sticky. Anyone who does not know any better would think it is fog."
Flare wills her wings to shake off the cotton, but it adamantly refuses to let go. Even worse is that the more her wings struggle, the more cotton it attracts. Shadow watches her struggle with glee in his eyes.
"That's not the only thing we have in store for you, Precure."
She gasps as the cottony fog condenses, obscuring her vision of the Kugeki. Taking a defensive stance, Flare waits for the first attack. From the white foggy abyss, a thick strand of silk latches onto her arm. The Precure can only gasp as something pulls her closer to the center of the field. Another silken stream catches her other arm, adding to the force that's dragging her. She grips the strands and feels the heat spread to her fingertips.
"Wait, Flare!"
"W-What?"
"I just realized that if this fog is cotton, then it will catch fire easily! That means if you use any of your fire-based abilities, the forest will be caught in the crossfire!"
Flare snaps her head to the tiny legendary Pokémon with abject horror, commanding the fire in her blood to extinguish. Shadow releases another command to finish off the magical girl, and the Kugeki lifts its head, a horrible mixture of googly eyes and antennas that jut out, serving as the monster's mouth. It increases its sucking speed, feeling little resistance from the magical girl it had caught.
She is trapped in the worst possible situation. N is going to get kidnapped. Her Pokémon is going to be fused into monsters. And this Kugeki has prevented her from finishing the job at this instant. All she can do is engage in a tug-of-war that will surely end in her in the Kugeki's mouth.
Rumble.
Flare hears the roll of thunder.
Shadow loses any smugness he had accumulated from cornering Cure Flare. The sky darkens as if angry at what it's witnessing. The black clouds above threaten to split the Kugeki in half with the wrath of Arceus itself.
"Seems like you're in a bit of a bind. You have a long way to go if this is the best you can do."
Flare registers another voice booming among the thunder. The voice is haughty and cocky. A flash of lightning backs up the mysterious feminine voice.
"Watch closely! Let me show you how it's done."
The storm clouds ring out cacophonously, the rumbling and booming causing Flare's ears to rattle. Shadow looks up to the ominous clouds with his eyes dilating in anger.
"Why is she here?!" the enigmatic member of the Shadow Triad growls out. Flare can feel the stranger's smug grin shining down.
"Precure Lightning Strike!"
A figure hurtles down from the stormy clouds. Coated with golden electricity, the other Precure crashes into the Kugeki. The resulting impact lets loose a wave of lightning bolts that pierces through the black clouds. Her attack clears the cotton fog, and Flare is finally able to see who her savior is.
The first notable feature is her electric blue hair. It flows down to her back, with twin flat buns attached to the sides of her head. A black headpiece with two antennas connects the rolled buns. The back accessory on her waist is vaguely similar to the one Flare has, but her wings are more draconic than majestic. Flare can't see what her top is from the curtain of thick hair, but she can see the black tutu-like skirt that is way too short for her liking. She has a pair of short black boots on her feet.
"I'll get you next time!" Shadow uncharacteristically barks, vanishing away with another defeat in his records. The blue-haired Precure observes the victims of Shadow's experiment; a Whimiscott, a Leavanny, and a Pokémon ranger gently float down to the forest floor.
"T-Thank you," Flare says, still stunned by the display of power she had just witnessed. Even Reshiram is speechless, its mouth open as it struggles to form the words it wants to say.
"No problem," the other Precure curtly replies, "I've heard about you, Cure Flare. I was hoping to see what you were capable of, but I was honestly expecting a bit too much."
Flare can sense a bubble of annoyance climbing up her throat. "Excuse me for thinking about the safety of the forest first."
"Fair enough. However, I think this serves as a lesson as to what the Shadow Triad is capable of. I've had a lot more experience dealing with them, so I know most of the tricks they're hiding up their sleeves."
The orange-haired Precure can't find herself to retort. What she is saying is right. "I'll keep that in mind."
"What is this atmosphere? I thought I would be happy to finally meet her, but she's really getting on my nerves."
"Her confidence is from experience, Flare," Reshiram butts in, finding its voice at last, "We must ask for her aid."
"That was the plan...but I'm starting to think otherwise."
"I think I should get going," the blue-haired Precure states as she stretches her arms, "There was a green-haired man knocked out somewhere in these parts of the woods. I would check on him if I were you."
"Wait!" Flare blurts out, "I think we should team up. It won't do us any good if we fight separately. So that's why..." The white-dressed heroine bows as a sign of respect, "Please teach us all that you know."
She waits for her response with her head still lowered. The mysterious Precure pauses, looking over her shoulder at Flare.
"How about we play a game? If you are able to figure out my identity, I will officially join you as an ally."
Reshiram's heroine raises an eyebrow as she lifts her head up. "Is that something that we should be doing? Shouldn't we be coordinating together to defeat the Shadow Triad? I know I'm still fairly new to all this, but I'm serious about this."
"I will be the judge of that. Once you have proven yourself, then I will tell you everything you want to know."
Flare grits her teeth. "Why is she being so difficult?!"
Reshiram, despite feeling the same way as its heroine, concedes that the blue-haired magical girl has a point. Their performance today is less than satisfactory.
"Let us show her what we are capable of, Flare. I, for one, will not back down from this thief."
She resists the urge to groan. All of this is a pain, but if it means that they'll eventually fight on the same side instead of never…
"You got yourself a deal!" Flare agrees with a determined tone.
"Good. I hope to see a stunning display next time, Cure Flare."
"Wait, one more thing! What do I call you?"
"You can call me," she pauses for dramatic effect, "Cure Bolt."
Bolt spreads her wings and launches herself above the trees. She flies off, leaving behind a ring of smoke.
"Cure...Bolt…" Flare mutters, testing the name with her voice. Reshiram stares up at the now clear skies.
"We should go find N and reunite with your Pokémon."
"Right...ugh, I am so conflicted right now."
N finds himself back at the mysterious lake, staring at yet another thick layer of fog. The silhouette of the mysterious winged girl is back and in the same position as when she first appeared to him.
"Who are you?" he questions. The princess only shakes her head and wills the fog to grow thicker. N mentally commands the mist to listen to him and reveal who the alluring figure is, but just like his first encounter with the maiden, the fog rebels against him.
"Why won't you show yourself to me?"
She doesn't respond. The shadow unfolds her wings and prepares to take flight again. Not wanting her to leave, N steps into the lake and reaches his arm out to grab her. This time, the mysterious figure turns to him, recoiling away from his grasp. Even with her facing him, he cannot determine any of her features.
N can tell she was afraid of him. The golden words from his previous dream flash through his mind.
And right when he figures out the answer, she flies away.
Touko finds N at exactly the place Cure Bolt said he would be: near the tiny stream, surrounded by her team. He's already awake, talking to her Samurott about something she can't follow.
"N, are you okay?" she calls out to him. He turns his head slowly to the sound of her voice.
"Yes, I'm alright. Your Pokémon found me unconscious nearby, but unfortunately, I don't remember why."
The heroine sighs in relief. "Thank goodness you're all okay. The fog was really thick, so I had trouble finding you guys." N flashes a shy grin as he watches her recall her Pokémon back into their Poké Balls.
"Now, let's really get going," Touko suggests with a strained chuckle.
He nods and trails behind her. Their walk back to the main road and through the forest is once again plagued with silence. Neither of them says anything, each of them preoccupied with their own rampant thoughts.
"I now know what that vision is trying to tell me," N dwells on his puzzling dreams again, "It's a warning. If I meet this person, I will hurt her. But in what way? Not only do I not know who this stranger is, but it was the first time I was not able to control my prophetic dreams. Just who in the world is she?"
Meanwhile, Touko is reeling from her encounter with Cure Bolt, unable to swallow down the pill of irritation that has been lingering in her throat ever since her meeting with the haughty magical girl.
With heavy hearts and stormy minds, the two leave Pinwheel Forest, the forest of beginnings, behind them.
Cure Bolt hides in a nearby grove of the forest, west of the entrance to Skyarrow Bridge. Her transformation peels away to reveal familiar, brown hair wrapped into twin buns and a visor. The black top she was wearing reverts back to a white shirt with blue sleeves. Her black leggings reappear, and her yellow shorts replace the black, tutu-like skirt.
Mei takes a shaky breath.
"That was quite a bold thing to say to the other heroine."
She barely registers Zekrom commenting on her performance. Instead, her knees give out, and her hands have to stop her from fully collapsing onto the thick foliage.
"Ahhhh! I felt like dying!" she wails to nobody, "How could I say such a thing?! This is Touko we're talking about here!" Visible dread lines coat her body as she struggles to accept what she just did.
"What you did was entirely your decision. Even if I do not agree with it, you are ultimately the one communicating with them. On another note, I would like to address something else."
"Please don't tell me what I think it is…"
"I am talking about the name of your special attack. I understand that you do not want to give yourself away so quickly, but 'Lightning Strike?' That is not much better than what the real name of the move is."
"L-Leave me alone...it's the best I could do. I wasn't expecting to bail her out this early anyway…"
Mei remains on her hands and knees, the adrenaline from her little act morphing into a sense of anxiousness she hasn't felt since her first time on the silver screen.
"This will put your skills as an actress to the test. Let us see just how well you can fool Reshiram's heroine."
Profile: N
The deuteragonist of Pokémon Black. Once groomed by Ghetsis, the true leader of Team Plasma, to be his puppet king, N is currently trying to find his place in the world with his newly formed ideals. People who know him would describe him as a kind, noble visionary who can understand the hearts of Pokémon. Despite being raised to distrust humans, he is making an active effort to integrate himself back into society with some help from Mei. Underneath his calm and calculating facade, N is hiding feelings of inadequacy and uselessness.
Age: 21
Horoscope: Simipour
Team: Zoroark and Vanilluxe